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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: snap · field · cabinet · mine · cue · bay · sharp · racket

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. mine — for digging
  3. field — for sport
  4. cue — a hint
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. sharp — clever
  7. cue — a signal
  8. field — farmland
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. snap — to click
  12. cue — for pool
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. field — a subject
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. bay — to keep at bay

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com